Drowsy, James Allison staggers to the closet, grabs the custom-made metal breastplate with the silver star, and squeezes into it. All that’s missing is his visor helmet and short sword, and the Mercedes engineer has everything he needs to do his day’s work at the headquarters of the Formula 1 racing team.
Sonke Sievers
Deputy Head of Department for Sport Online.
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This morning routine would fit the role they have cast for the 55-year-old Brit, namely Princeps Toto Wolff and Mike Elliott, the technical director. They see Allison as “a gladiator on the field” and believe that “the troops will go through fire for him and with him.” This is what race director Wolff recently told the specialist magazine motorsport.com. But first things first.